Joe: I’m Taking Black Music Back

Crooner Joe Thomas knows how to please the ladies. At least with his music, the rest, only his personal friends can say for sure. The still single balladeer with the ordinary name has been making extraordinary music for years. His latest project “Doubleback: The Evolution of R&B” will hit the streets on July 2. He performed several songs from during his latest In-Studio Jam in the Red Velvet Cake studio and shared his musical inspiration and why having two minister parents hasn’t slowed him down.

TJMS: Do you do new music every year?

Joe: I like to keep it fresh. In the past I did 6 albums with Jive and took about two years between each one but now that I’m doing my own thing, I have a litte more incentive to work harder. I’m doing my Tom Joyner thing right now. I’m on my 10th album. July 2, “Doubleback the Evolution of R&B.” The whole concept is to go back and grab some of that old school feel which I love live music instruments horns I wanted to incorporate that into the style of music that I do but also keep it current at the same time. Hopefully that will inspired more young kids that want to be musicians and be inspired by the beautiful music that they hear like strings and incorporate that into today’s music. I miss it and I think instrumentation should certainly come back.

What song back in the day makes you think I need to double back to a song like….?

“Rocket Love” by Stevie Wonder. When you hear the instrumentation, strings are absolutely phenomenal. the composition. The musicians, first of all, are just remarkable, incredible. Everybody from the bass player to the drummer – that’s what I love.

Is songwriting hard for you?

I’m very fortunate that it comes pretty easy for me. I think being a musicians certainly helps out with songwriting. I play guitar, piano, drums, so that process is very smooth. I love doing it. A lot of what you heard – those are songs I wrote and produced myself. And I’m playing the instruments on them as well.

Really? Ain’t nobody getting money with Joe.

(Laughs) When your hear things a certain way and you want them to be a certain way. I produced records back in the day for Xscape, Babyface Tina Turner, Barry White, and when you’re writing songs like that you hear them a certain way and you want to paint the picture a certain way. And I’ve worked with artists, not any of the ones I just mentioned, who couldn’t paint that picture. I became very comfortable with the hands on process.

Have your minister parents heard “Sex Music Smoke and Liquor” yet?

They haven’t heard it yet. (Laughs) They say when you’re PK (Preacher’s Kid) sometimes we’re the baddest ones. I’m going all the way through with that whole image.